Solar Servicing

Regular servicing of your solar hot water (solar thermal) system is essential to ensure its efficient operation. You should think of servicing your solar hot water system in the same way as servicing your boiler or car. If regular servicing is not carried out, it leads to expensive repairs. We offer full and interim servicing for all types of solar hot water systems, repairs and maintenance of all types of solar tubes and solar flat plate panels.

Unfortunately, many solar hot water systems in Ireland are not performing anywhere near their capability for a variety of reasons. Some don't work at all! Some reasons for ill-performance are:

Not installed correctly

System has gone into stagnation (overheated) during it’s lifetime

No heat dump installed (this is a necessary item for most systems)

Glycol (anti-freeze) has failed due to age

Glycol has failed due to stagnation

System pressure has dropped

Expansion vessel has failed

Flow rate is set incorrectly

Controller/temperature sensors are set up or fitted incorrectly (or sensors have become dislodged)

The biggest reason for reduced performance of a solar hot water system is where the glycol (antifreeze) breaks down. This could be due to overheating, freezing or just age (lifespan of around 5 years max). If and when the glycol becomes damaged, it becomes thick and sticky and much more difficult to pump. This in turn, puts pressure on the pump and can also damage system components such as expansion vessels, non-return valves, the pump itself, etc.

Temperature sensors can become faulty and can give false readings if they are heated beyond their limits. This affects the operation of the system as the controller relies on accurate readings from these sensors.

The good news is that we can repair, service and maintain all types and brands of systems and bring the efficiency back up to where it should be. Comfort Solutions Ireland have vast experience in solar hot water systems and are proud to state that we have never had a complaint about one of the systems that we have installed.

We can offer maintenance contracts or on-demand servicing and repairs. Simply call us today on (098) 42699 to arrange yours. Or send us an email to info@comfortsolutions.ie

There are two types of service for solar hot water systems:

Interim service

Full service

1. Interim Service

An interim service should be performed on an annual basis and includes the following:

Check system pressure and re-pressurise if necessary

If pressure was down, test solar circuit for leaks by pressurising to around 6 bar

Check performance of glycol in the system to ensure it can still protect against freezing

Examine all connections in the solar circuit and repair any leaks or replace fittings as necessary